Okay.  So I thought this was a green starfish when Nathan first presented me with his latest creation.  My artful insight requires a little, uh…, meditation.  If he had given me a few more minutes, I’m sure I would have recognized it.  Nathan is 10 now.  Starfruit.  Looks good enough to eat.

And even more intriguing–Tebow is well known for sporting “John 3:16″ on his eye black.  Last night, he passed for 316 yards against the Steelers–three sixteen!  Not only that, he completed 10 of 21 pass attempts which amounts to 31.6 yards per completion.

I think God put his footprint on that game

Nathan at Children's Hospital in New Orleans - pulmonary function tests.

Stressful, stressful, stressful.  That’s how I would describe these past few weeks.  I always dread Nathan’s annual checkup.

I know exactly why I have a hard time settling down.  Nathan’s heart surgery about five years ago was the most stressful event our family had ever faced.  When we got the news that the surgery was a success, we felt so joyful and relieved.  It felt like an enormous burden had been lifted.

As he was recovering at home, we decided we needed to have a pediatric orthopedist take another look at the little deformed vertebra he was born with.  We had been told to be on the lookout for scoliosis.  His back looked nice and straight, so we weren’t particularly worried about it.  But we wanted to play it safe–make absolutely certain that his back was A-okay.

So I set up an appointment about 3 months after that harrowing heart surgery.  I didn’t even bring Bryan for support.  I could handle this by myself because I was dang-near certain there was nothing wrong.  Heaven help me–I was so wrong.

A side view x-ray revealed that he had congenital kyphosis and needed spinal fusion surgery.  It was awful to hear that he was looking at another surgery, and it was going to involve a difficult recovery, a body cast, and a body brace.

Now, I can’t help but feel this sense of dread when I go to these checkups.  I always wonder:  Is someone going to surprise me with some more bad news?

Echocardiogram

We saw three different specialists this week.  First, we got some advice from a pulmonary doctor.  A component of Nathan’s scimitar syndrome is that he has a hypoplastic lung.  The top third of it functions, but the rest of it is practically useless.  We know he has allergies, but we have also suspected he has asthma.

After pulmonary function tests, it was determined that he did, indeed, have asthma.  He will need to use an inhaled steroid each day to improve the inflammation in the alveoli of his lungs.  This will prevent further damage and improve his lung function.  I am very, very glad we met with this doctor.

Next stop:  cardiology.  After an EKG and echocardiogram, the doctor informed us that the baffle created during Nathan’s 2006 heart surgery appeared to be functioning just fine.  Instead of coming every year, he suggested every two years (!) would be reasonable.  Felt so good to hear that.

Finally, we took x-rays to see how that spinal fusion was holding up.  This was the moment of truth.  Oh, oh, oh–I was so nervous.  Last year, we were told the fusion had solidified nicely, but it was starting to curve.  The curve was at 43 degrees.  If it reached 50 degrees, he would need another surgery.

Had the curve worsened?  Yes.  But…  It had only worsened by one degree.  And the doctor elaborated on what we were looking at if a growth spurt causes the curve to hit that dreaded 50 degrees.  Instead of the big deal surgery he had back in ’07, he would cut through a simple layer of skin directly to the spine and place a few bone grafts.  He would be released the next day–no body cast, no brace.  I could live with that.

All in all, a good day.

My name is Delaney, and I’m 14 years old. My brother, Grant, who is a twin, has Mitochondrial Disease.  For 2 years, I’ve watched my brother get sick, and I couldn’t do anything to help him. I couldn’t really talk to my friends about it because none of them have ever heard about Mito, and I hated going through the explanation every time. Even in school, we spent a week talking about what Mitochondria do, but the teacher had never heard of Mitochondrial Disease.

I read about a contest through the UMDF about spreading awareness.  It made me start thinking about what I could do, and my Aunt gave me an idea.  I decided to start a Facebook page to explain Mito in a way I could understand it.  It was something I could tell the people I know to read so I didn’t have to keep explaining it.  I decided not to enter the contest, but I am going to keep the page growing as long as I can.

I started by posting the link and asking other people to do the same. In one week, I had over 6000 people like the page. That means 6000 people might have learned something about Mito. I’m asking for your help to keep the page growing. All it takes is sharing the page with others.

I would love to have any suggestions for ways that I can get more people to view the site.

This is a Channel 8 news report done about the page:

http://www.wfaa.com/news/health/Teen-raising-profile-of-little-known-disease-128652233.html

Here is the page:

Http://www.Facebook.com/wishgrantedproject

Please view the Facebook site on a regular computer, because it doesn’t show up right on a cellphone.

Thank you,

Delaney Watkins

“We were discharged yesterday and he is recovering quite well. I would like to share with you a photo of him from the day we were discharged. He now has pink nail beds, which used to be quite purplish. I know that you share our joy in this miracle…”

Sam also sent 2 beautiful photos of Lucas–the smile is fabulous!

Nook will store several 9th grade textbooks at Gulfport High School this fall 2011.

Have you lifted your kid’s backpack lately? Ugh!  When I first got my Nook, I commented to friends that I hoped schools went to eReaders one day.  My son, Nathan, had back surgery to correct Congenital Kyphosis a few years ago.  He’s doing well, but I’ve worried about the toll heavy books might take on him in years to come.

Well–guess what! Backpacks will get lighter at Gulfport High School this fall according to a report from WLOX.  The school district has purchased 570 Nooks for the upcoming 9th grade class.

I purchased my Nook last year, and I love it. There are so many advantages to eReaders:

• Save gas–no need to drive to the bookstore.
• Order a book at home; arrives in seconds.
• Carry your library of hundreds of books anywhere.
• Save space–no need for bookshelves.
• Change font size to make reading easy on the eyes.
• Save money–ebooks are cheaper than hardcover and/or paperback books.

It made sense to me that schools of the future might place textbooks on eReaders–but, wow! I didn’t imagine our local high school (Gulfport, Mississippi) would embrace the new technology this fast.

I hope this proves to be a successful experiment so that other grades (and other schools) will enjoy the convenience of Nook books.

Right to Left: Karen Blakeney, Sandy Adams, Grace Booth, and Sandy Lemoine; Southern Christian Writers Conference

This past weekend, I traveled to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for the 20th Annual Southern Christian Writers Conference.  I attended several nice workshops and met some wonderful folks.  It was truly a blessing.

I decided to enter my Parents magazine article, “Nathan’s Wonder Slide,” in the conference writing contest.  On Saturday, I learned my entry won first place in the magazine category.  Coincidentally, I made friends with a few of the other winners and happened to be sitting with them when the awards were announced.

Tuscaloosa is still recovering from the deadly tornado that struck on April 27th.  Coming from South Mississippi, it’s easy to sympathize; we have experienced Hurricane Camille and Katrina.  It was heartwarming to see volunteer organizations in town, including the two large Samaritan’s Purse trucks teeming with workers at our host church, First Baptist of Tuscaloosa.   It would have been understandable if First Baptist had bowed out as host of the writers conference this year given all the work they are doing to help in their city’s restoration, but they took on both projects.

It was a great conference; I hope to return next year.

Sylvie with Jordan, "...a gift from Sydney."

In August of 2009, I connected with a lovely mother, Sylvie Stephens, through my Nathan’s Prayer website.  Her baby daughter, Sydney, was a patient at Children’s Hospital in Minnesota.  Sylvie and I exchanged long emails over a period of time as we hoped and prayed for Sydney to be healed as she battled a congenital heart defect associated with scimitar syndrome.

Since my own son, Nathan, had gone through surgery for scimitar syndrome, I became intensely interested in Sylvie’s plight.  Oh, how I wanted a miracle for Sydney!  Tragically, Sydney lost her battle on September 16, 2009.  I have never personally met Sylvie; our communication has been strictly through email.  Still, I spent much of that day in and out of tears over the loss of that sweet baby.

Then I prayed. Not for Sydney.  She was instantly swept into Heaven’s blissful embrace.  I prayed fervently for Sylvie.  I prayed that God would give her strength.  I prayed that she would receive supernatural comfort and peace.  And I prayed that one day God would bring her great joy and happiness.

Well, there is, indeed, joy in the morning! Weighing in at 6 lbs., 13 oz., little Jordan Tieszan was born on 3-11-11, just 3 days before the 2nd anniversary of Sydney’s birth.

Sylvie and Sydney

“It’s been so healing to have Jordan,” Sylvie reports.  “Sydney is always on my mind and in my heart. Jordan is such a joy and a gift from Sydney!”

Whenever I think of Valentine’s Day, my first mental image isn’t of a romantic candle-lit dinner for two, or of clinking champagne glasses or a bouquet of roses.

Instead, I am transported back to the early 1990’s, where I sit in a circle of school desks, bedecked in a red and white polka-dot dress, lace tights, and Mary Janes. My hands are neatly folded on my desk, but my legs bounce frenetically as I watch my teacher and some volunteers prepare for our annual Valentine’s Day festivities. This will naturally include games, candy and snacks, but the main event will be the exchanging of Valentine’s Day cards. My elementary school wisely had taken an egalitarian approach to the latter, insisting that every student give a Valentine to every other student, much to the relief of little girls who weren’t, say, Holly Barton or one of the Dunlop twins. However, even an outright rejection from my crush, “Dan-the-Man,” wouldn’t have defeated my six-year-old heart on that day, because on my desk I had my box.

The box, which sat on my desk where my reader would usually be, would later be used to collect Valentines from my classmates. It had started as a simple payless shoebox, but in the evenings prior my mom had worked to transform it into something beautiful. The box was lined and covered in a red fabric patterned in tiny white hearts. The lid was also covered, and a thin slit had been cut in the top where my classmates could insert Valentines. The base of the box was trimmed with white lace ric-rac, and at the top of the lid, centered by the slit, was a tiny red bow. As I sat at my desk, waiting for the games to begin and the cookies to be served, I remember that I felt immensely proud of the beautiful box my mom had made for me, and special to be the possessor of such a quality treasure.

I kept that box for years, using it to store special notes and classmate’s photos, until it finally fell apart when I was in high school. Whenever I saw the box, I was reminded of the little things my mother did to make me feel special. I believe that it is important for children to occasionally have moments like this, where they know that they are cared for, loved, and important. These feelings help children to establish a solid sense of self, and the confidence they need to succeed as adults.

The nonprofit I work with, World of Children, is proud to host a network of heroes who give love and care to children who often don’t get it elsewhere. Our Award Winners are special because they don’t just increase children’s life spans, but they also dramatically improve the quality and trajectory of children’s lives, giving them the intricate, special care that they all so desperately want and need.

This Valentine’s Day, to help a child feel special, I am giving a few friends a Valentine’s Day e-card, available from the World of Children. All funds raised from these e-cards will be designated for Adi Roche, who provides cardiac surgeries to sick children born with congenital defects. Each $15 card will fund approximately 2% of a surgery.  This Valentine’s Day, help us make sure that every child knows that they are loved, cared for and remembered. If you would like to browse e-cards you can send this Valentine’s Day, please click here.